There are only two types of scholars and no other:
Scholars of the Hereafter and scholars of Evil. He who
is not one of the scholars of the Hereafter is among
the scholars of wickedness, enamored of the vanities
of this world and heedless of the Hereafter and its
felicities.

The scholar of evil: He is the scholar who conceals
the truth and cloaks it in falsehood. He dissuades
(people) from the Deen of Allâh. If he is included in
the name of scholar at all, then it is not permissible
to call him by the appellation of ‘Alim unless
it is said that he is a scholar of wickedness or
misguided.

They are scholars in appearance, but Allâh does not
render their knowledge of any benefit to them, because
they sought knowledge in order to obtain worldly
possessions, dine with the wealthy, and associate with
kings and the sons of kings. They ascribe themselves
to the party of the scholars, but their morality is
the morality of the people of ignorance and harshness.
They tempt the infatuated. Their tongue is the tongue
of a scholar and their deeds are the deeds of the
foolhardy.

Abu ‘Umar al-Saif, may Allâh accept him, said: "There
is no significance in memorizing texts or studying
knowledge, rather the important thing for knowledge to
be beneficial is purity and piety of the one receiving
the knowledge. If the heart is pure, then knowledge is
beneficial and, Allâh permitting, Muslims will benefit
from this knowledge.

"But if the heart receiving this knowledge is
hypocritical or sick then its owner will perforce
suppress the truth, slander Allâh with lies and
dissuade (people) from the cause of Allâh. His words
and fatwas become a cover for lackey governments to
cover their crimes against Islam and the Muslims."

Ibn Qayyim, may Allâh have mercy on him, said: All
among the people of knowledge who prefer and desire
the world must undoubtedly speak untruths about Allâh
in their fatwas and judgments , in their decisions and
edicts. Because the judgments of the Lord Almighty
often are at odds with the desires of the people,
especially those in power. Those who follow their
longings cannot attain their desires except by often
violating and repudiating the truth. The scholar or
the ruler who loves power and follows his desires will
not achieve either except by resisting the truth that
opposes him, especially if a shubhah (doubtful
area) was established for him. The shubhah and
the desire will be in agreement and passion will be
stirred up. What is proper will be hidden and the face
of truth will be obliterated. If the truth is obvious
and there is no hiding it and no ambiguity about it,
he purposely violates it, saying: "I have a way out
through repentance." About them and those like them,
the Almighty said, {Then,
there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up
As-Salât (the prayers) [ie. made their Salât
(prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or
by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them
in their proper fixed times] and have followed
lusts...} [Sûrah19.
Maryam (Mary) Ayât.
59]

Of them the Almighty also said,
{Then after them
succeeded an (evil) generation which inherited the
Book, but they chose (for themselves) the goods of
this low life (evil pleasures of this world) saying
(as an excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven us."
And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures
of this world) came their way, they would (again)
seize them (would commit those sins). Was not the
covenant of the Book taken from them that they would
not say about Allâh anything but the truth? And they
have studied what is in it (the Book). And the home of
the hereafter is better for those who are Al-Muttaqûn
(the pious, righteous etc.) Will not you then
understand?} [Sûrah
7. Al-'A`rāf (The Heights or The Wall with Elevations)
Ayât.
169].

The Almighty explains that they took the lowliest goal
although they knew this was forbidden to them, while
saying "this will be forgiven us". When they were
given another chance (to pursue this desire) they took
it, because they were insistent upon that and this
prompted them to speak falsehoods of Allâh. So they
said "this is His judgment, His law and His religion",
although they knew that His judgment, His law and His
religion were contrary to that. Or did they not know
this was His judgment, His law and His religion?
Sometimes they spoke against Allâh without knowing and
sometimes they spoke against him words they knew were
false.

Those undoubtedly innovate in religion while
conducting immoral acts and these two things combine
within them. Following desires makes the eyes of the
heart blind, so that they do not distinguish between
tradition and innovation, or they turn matters upside
down so that they see tradition as innovation and
innovation as tradition.

This is the plague of the scholars, when they prefer
this world and pursue power and desires. The verses
apply to them, {And
recite (O Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)
to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayât
(proof, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.), but he threw them away; so
Shaitân (Satan) followed him up, and he became of
those who went astray. And had We willed, We would
surely have elevated him therewith, but he clung to
the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his
parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him
away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him
alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out.}
[Sûrah 7.
Al-'A`rāf (The Heights or
The Wall with Elevations) Ayât.175-176]
Contemplate the censure (of the scholar) contained in
these verses, for the following reasons:
First: He strayed after (acquiring) knowledge, and
chose infidelity purposely and not out of ignorance.

Second: He has irreversibly separated himself from
belief, for he has abandoned Allâh's Signs, like a
snake shedding its skin. If anything of it had
remained with him, he would not have abandoned it.

Third: Satan pursued him, caught him, possessed and
ravished him. On this He said,
{Shaitân
(Satan) followed him up}.
He did not just say "followed him". The meaning is
followed him up, pursued and caught him. And this is
more serious is word and meaning than "followed him".

Fourth: He went astray after receiving guidance. And
the verb "go astray" means erring in knowledge and
intention, specifically pertaining to corruption in
intention and deed. Likewise, "erring" means
corruption of knowledge and belief. If one is
mentioned alone it implies the other but if they are
mentioned together then the difference is as mentioned
above.

Fifth: The Almighty did not wish to elevate (such a
scholar) with his knowledge, so it was the cause of
his destruction. Because he was not elevated by it, it
became a curse to him. If he had not become a scholar,
it would have been better and less a punishment for
him.

Sixth: The Almighty exposed the vileness of (the
scholar's) intentions and that he has chosen lowliness
over honor.

Seventh: His choice of lowliness was not intentional
or cheerfully expected, but he was disposed towards
the earth and wholly inclined to what is there. And
"disposed" (means) a persistent clinging. As if it is
said: he persisted in clinging to the earth. From here
it is said: So-and-so was inclined to such a place, if
he clung to abiding there. He expressed his
inclination to the world through his disposition
towards the earth. Because the world is the earth and
what pleasure and adornment may be derived from it.

Eighth: He spurned (Divine) guidance and followed his
desires. Thus he placed his whims before him as a
leader, was guided by them and followed them.

Ninth: He is likened to dogs which are the basest of
animals in desire, of the meanest spirit, the
stingiest; most rabid. He is thus named a dog.

Tenth: His panting after the world, his impatience for
it, anxiety about losing it and eagerness to obtain it
is like the panting of a dog who pants whether left
along or is driven away. If he is left alone, he pants
after the earth. If he is lectured or admonished, he
is still like that. His panting is no different from
the panting of a dog.

Ibn Qutaybah said: "Everything pants sometimes,
whether from fatigue or thirst, except for the dog
which always pants, whether fatigued or resting,
hydrated or thirsty. Allâh has afflicted him like the
infidel and said: If you advised him, he strayed. If
you leave him, he strayed. If you leave him, he
strayed like a dog. If you kick him out, he pants like
a dog, if you leave him be, he pants like a dog. This
example does not apply to all dogs, just the panting
dog, which is the basest and vilest of creatures. This
is like the scholar who prefers this world over the
Hereafter". End abridged quote.

Imam al-Zahabi[1], explaining the state of one of the
scholars of wickedness who supported the ‘Ubaydi
state, whose situation is similar to that of
contemporary rulers, said:
"The heretic scholar, Qadi of the ‘Ubaydi
state Abu Hunaifa, al-Nu'man bin Muhammad bin Mansour
al-Maghrebi, was a Maliki who reverted to the school
of al-Batiniyah. He compiled his book 'Uss al-Dawah'
and cast Religion behind him. He wrote about (human)
virtues and flaws. He refuted the Imams of Religion
and abandoned Islam. To hell with him! He dissembled
for the state and then even agreed with them. He was a
partisan of al-Mu'iz Abu Tamim, the founder of Cairo.
He was influential in the sciences, jurisprudence and
disputation and devoted to research. But his knowledge
was a curse to him in the end. He wrote books,
refuting Abu Hunaifa in jurisprudence, as well as
Malik and Shafa'i. He stood up for the juristic creed
of the Ahl al-Bayt, and wrote a book about the
differences of the scholars. He was revered and
respected. Among his sons were judges and eminent
men."

His knowledge and research did not benefit him when he
stood in the rank of the enemies of Shari'ah. Rather
his knowledge was a curse to him.
The disposition of a scholar as a scholar of evil is
due to the following characteristics:

First: He does not act in accordance with his
knowledge. If you add to that his work that is
contrary to his knowledge, he becomes a source of
great dissension and imminent evil because the masses
will imitate the evil.

Second: Concealment of what Allâh made a covenant to
reveal. The Almighty said,
{(And remember) when Allâh took a covenant from
those who were given the Scripture (Jews and
Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
and the religious knowledge) known and clear to
mankind, and not hide it, but they threw it away
behind their backs, and purchased with it some
miserable gain! And indeed worst is that which they
bought.} [Sûrah
3. Al-'Imran (The Family of Imran)
Ayât.187]. There are other verses in
this vein. Concealment takes the form of weakening an
authentic Hadith and to eliminate advancing (an
argument) by it. Concealment may also take the form of
issuing fatwas based on deviant opinions or minority
opinions on an issue without reference to the majority
opinion among scholars. Concealment may also take the
form of misquoting the words from one scholar, and
this is a wide category, which includes advancing an
argument in general while concealing its particulars.
Or vindicating the absolutes while concealing what
motivates it and advancing an argument wholesale while
concealing what it reveals.

Third: Twisting the Shari'ah texts. The Almighty said,
{...There are some
who displace words from (their) right places...}
[Sûrah 4. An-Nisa' (The Woman) Ayât.
46]. This is what happens most: The misleading
(scholar) must cite legal evidence to spread his words
among the people. Therefore his false words are
called "shubhah" because they resemble truth by the
evidence they cite. The perversion may be a perversion
of evidence from its meaning through an unjustified
and deviant interpretation or a corrupted extraction
from it or the like. This is cloaking falsehood with
truth, as mentioned in the words of the Almighty,
{And mix not truth
with falsehood, nor conceal the truth [i.e. Muhammad
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is Allâh's
Messenger and his qualities are written in your
Scriptures, the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel
(Gospel)] while you know (the truth).}
[Al-Baqarah: 24].

Fourth: Playing the hypocrite with the sultans and
entering into association with them by playing with
words for the sake of satisfying them. This is done by
being proficient in listing specious arguments (shubahat),
slips of the tongue and errors. They even slander
against Allâh and His Messenger sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
– We beseech Allâh for well being and
safety (from them)!

Huzayfah, may Allâh be pleased with him, said:
"Keep away from
positions of temptation". It was asked, "What are
they?" He said, "The gates of princes. One of you may
associate with a prince, tell lies in the guise of
truth or flatter him (with dispositions) that are not
found in him."

Said bin Yaqub said, "Ahmad bin Hanbal wrote to me:
In the name of Allâh, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
From Ahmed bin Hanbal to Said bin Yaqub, thereafter:
Worldly pleasures are a disease, power is a disease
and the scholar is a doctor. If you see a physician
bringing upon himself a disease, beware of him."

As for the scholars of wickedness today, look for them
in the doorways of the sultans and the panel
discussions for fighting terrorism and jihad on the
satellite networks and the halls of the tyrants!

These are the scholars of wickedness, one of whom
issued a ruling after the occupation of Iraq in 2003
that the fighting between Mujahideen and the Americans
was fitnah and that the killer and the slain
will both be in hell-fire!!

Among them is one – whom Allâh led astray despite his
learning – who said that the Allawi government is a
legal government and must be obeyed. When he was asked
by a questioner, "But America is the one that
appointed it and imposed it", he answered, "Even if
the infidels appoint a leader for a country of
Muslims, he is the legal leader and must be obeyed."

Additionally, there are fatwas which legalize usurious
interests by banks, interfaith dialogue and so forth.
To Allâh we appeal!

Like Ibn Ba'ura whose ~
example is given in the Quran

He sought the dunya and collected his destruction ~
he abandoned the Signs and faith

His is a like a dog always panting ~ if attacked or
left alone

These are the qualities of a scholar of wickedness
~ grasping and eager for ephemeral vanities

How many scholars of our age ~ are like the lowly
and disgraceful Bal'am